Dragon Balls Mutate
His voice was steady and carried weight when he spoke.
Honestly, we have no choice right now.
Every second of delay means more people will not be able to return, and the wounds on Earth will only become more severe.
He glanced around at everyone and said firmly, "No matter what, save people and fix the Earth first. We can deal with the rest later."
"Agreed." Vegeta simply uttered two words, loosening his arms, straightening his body, and regaining his decisive and efficient demeanor. "That's enough discussion. Everyone, split up and find all seven Dragon Balls as quickly as possible." His eyes swept over Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, and Pan like knives. "Hurry up!"
Bulma watched as everyone immediately got to work, and without saying much, simply distributed the Dragon Balls Scouter one by one.
"The signal is locked, keep in touch." She added as a final reminder, her eyes still showing concern, but even more so, unwavering support.
Goku took the Scouter; the bright spots on the screen seemed like flickering hopes.
He gripped the instrument tightly, strode out of the laboratory first, and a faint golden aura emanated from his body.
Without hesitation, the others rushed out, their figures quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor, leaving Bulma alone in front of the giant screen.
The Earth on the screen is still riddled with holes, but hopeful action has already begun.
The laboratory suddenly became bustling with activity, the atmosphere so tense it was almost palpable.
Goku was the first to jump onto the floating platform, with golden energy trailing behind him in streaks of light.
Vegeta stood by the window with his arms crossed, staring intently at the distant horizon, his brows furrowed.
Gohan leaned over to look at the holographic map, his finger swiping across the projection and bringing up a string of data.
Trunks adjusted the energy Scouter while listening to the rhythmic ticking of the instrument.
Piccolo hung cross-legged in the air, his green skin gleaming coldly under the lights.
Pan stood on tiptoe to explain the map area to Uub, their shadows stretching long on the metal floor.
Qi Heng sat in the shadows in the southeast corner of the laboratory, the alloy chair beneath him reflecting a cold, silvery light.
He crossed his arms, his black Battle Suit rising and falling slightly with his breathing.
Those golden eyes swept across the scene, finally settling on the rolling sea of clouds outside the window.
The setting sun shone through the gaps in the clouds, bathing the entire Capsule Corporation in an amber hue.
"Qi Heng." Bulma glided to his side on her magnetic levitation shoes, the hem of her white coat swaying with her movements.
She held the still-steaming coffee, her brow slightly furrowed. "Aren't you going to help? It'll definitely be faster with you here."
"There's no need." Qi Heng shook his head, his hair swaying in the air.
He spoke slowly, each word carefully considered before uttering. "Finding the Dragon Balls is something they can handle themselves." He paused, his gaze drifting past the bulletproof glass to the darkening horizon. "Besides, I always feel—"
The laboratory's automatic door slid open silently, and the evening breeze carried the scent of fresh grass.
"This Dragon Balls might cause some trouble."
Bulma tensed up immediately, twirling her coffee cup in her hand. "Something's wrong? What do you mean? Is it an energy anomaly or a malfunction in the positioning system?"
"Just a gut feeling." Qi Heng stood up, and the alloy chair hummed.
He walked past the repair station that smelled slightly of engine oil, around the holographic panel that shimmered with blue light, his black boots making each step steady.
I'm going out for a walk.
The door closed behind him, Goku's energetic voice suddenly rang out from the lab. "Alright! Gohan and I will take charge of the West City Ruins!"
Qi Heng walked along the cobblestone path, and the motion-sensor lights on both sides lit up with each step he took.
The sun had completely set, the sky was a deep blue, and the first star began to twinkle through the gaps in the clouds.
He stopped by the fountain in the middle of the courtyard, where water flowed from the marble statue's hands, the droplets sparkling like diamonds under the lights.
The last rays of the setting sun slanted across his face, making his golden eyes shine astonishingly in the darkness, as if molten gold were flowing within them.
The evening breeze ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead, the strands tracing arcs in the air.
In his mind, fragments of memory began to piece together—the plot of Dragon Ball GT, every twist and turn in the Shadow Dragons Saga, and those scenes from the anime now appeared clearly.
"Shadow Dragons ..." he whispered, his voice carried away by the sound of water.
He raised his right hand, palm up, as if trying to catch the starlight that slipped through his fingers.
"If the plot remains unchanged, this wish will summon Shadow Dragons."
He looked up at the night sky, his neck taut.
The sky was completely dark, and the Milky Way looked like shattered diamonds scattered on velvet.
Among those starlight, in the unseen depths of the universe, a restless pulse beats.
"Super Omega Shenron..." Qi Heng's pupils contracted, a dark current flashing deep within the golden light. "I wonder just how strong you are."
Two days later, at dusk.
The last energy signal disappeared at the edge of the West City Capital ruins.
Goku, covered in dust, leaped out of the teleportation array, the Dragon Balls in his hand gleaming with a warm orange light in the twilight.
The seven Dragon Balls were neatly arranged on the analysis table in the center of Bulma's laboratory. The cold, black alloy surface made the orange spheres look like seven sleeping little suns.
The operating lights shone a stark white light, and the Dragon Balls suddenly revealed its abnormality under the intense light—its originally smooth surface was now covered with dense cracks, like the cracks of parched earth, or the marks left by the erosion of time on ancient pottery.
A faint, dark red glow emanated from the depths of the crack, as if lava was slowly flowing inside the sphere.
"How did the Dragon Balls turn out like this?" Pan leaned over the analysis table, her nose almost touching the surface of the sphere.
Her voice still held a childlike clarity, but at this moment it carried a hint of unease, "I've never seen anything like this before..."
"Negative energy accumulation." Bulma's voice came from behind the console.
She typed rapidly on the holographic keyboard, and a three-dimensional projection unfolded in the air. In the complex energy graph, the dark red curve representing negative energy was surging upwards wildly.
"I've said before that Earth has fought too many wars over the years, and every time the Dragon Balls are misused, negative energy accumulates." She pushed up her goggles, revealing a stream of data reflected on the lenses. "But I didn't expect it to be this serious..."
"I can't worry about that now, let's make a wish first." Goku stepped forward, the sound of his boots hitting the floor was exceptionally clear.
He raised his hands, palms hovering ten centimeters above the Dragon Balls. The cracks seemed to respond, and a dark red light began to pulse rhythmically.
"Wait." Piccolo suddenly stood in front of the analysis table, his cape billowing in the air conditioning.
"Goku, are you really going to make a wish now? The Dragon Balls are in a very unstable state—" He stared intently at the cracks, his eyes narrowing to pinpoints, "I can feel something inside is about to awaken."
"We must save them." Goku's voice wasn't loud, but every word was as powerful as iron.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and the air in the laboratory seemed to swirl slightly.
"Even the Earth needs repair."
When he opened his eyes, that fighting spirit in them returned.
"Come forth, Shenron!"
All seven Dragon Balls vibrated together.
At first, it only trembled slightly, like a sleeping giant turning over in its dream.
Soon, the light bursting from the crack was no longer a warm orange light, but a dark, ominous black.
The light grew stronger and brighter, causing the laboratory lights to flicker from the energy surge, and the emergency lights on the walls automatically turned on, casting a blood-red warning light.